Neck-yoke.



J. A. WALKER.

NECK YOKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1916.

1,21 1,795. Patented Jan. 9,1917.

I; earns JAMES A. WALKER, OF GENESEE, PENNSYLVANIA;

NECK-YOKE.

Application filed March 14, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMns A. WALKER, acitizen of the United States, and resident of Genesee, county of Potter,State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Neck-Yokes, ofwhich the following descrip-' tion, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts in each of the several views.

This invention relates to neck yokes used in harnessing horses or otheranimals to vehicles.

A prime object of the invention is to provide a neck yoke ofexceptionally strong, yet light and simple construction, capable ofbeing cheaply produced, and wherein the wooden bar of the neck yoke maybe made relatively light and yet by my improved rein forcing means besufficiently strong for all requirements. To this end I provide animproved construction and arrangement of reinforcing truss rodsextending from the ends of the neck yoke bar and connected to a centraljoining member preferably in loop form and associated with the holdingmeans for the ring that receives the vehicle pole or tongue.

The invention will be better understood from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings and will be thereafterpointed outin the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation showing a neckyoke constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a centraltransverse section thereof on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a bottom planview showing the central portion of the neck yoke with the ends of thetruss rods and the central rings removed; Fig. 4 is a bottom plan viewshowing one element of the invention in modified form; and Fig. 5 is anedge elevation of the element shown in Fig. 4.

The neck yoke bar indicated at 10 may be of usual form preferablytapering somewhat toward its ends from its central portion. This yokebar has its ends equipped with stout metallic end caps 11, 11 andunderneath is equipped with eyes 12 to receive and hold in place thehame strap rings 13. Through the central portion of the yoke bar, arepassed transversely spaced apart eye-bolts Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Jame, 1917.

Serial No. 84,063.

14, 15 having eyes16 at the lower ends thereof through which are passedthe small rings 17 that engageand hold in depending relation the largering 18 that receives the pole or tongue of-the vehicle. The upper endsof these bolts are threaded to receive clamp nuts 19 and a metallicreinforce and clamp plate washer member 20 is preferably provided to beinterposed between these nuts and the wood of the bar to provide anextended clamping surface thereon. In accordance with my invention a.stout rod 21 is fashioned to an elongated loop form with parallel sides21 21 spaced apart to receive between them the'bolts l t. 15 and adaptedto be engaged by-enlarged washers 22 interposed between said loop andthe eyes 16; the provisionpf these washers, however, being merelyillustrative and intended to typify any suitable means for clamping saidloop against the bar and between it and the eyes 16. Theend portions ofthe loop 21 are outturned from the'bar at some little angle as indicatedat'23. To these outturned ends 23 are secured the inner ends of trussrods 24 in any suitable way, though I preferably bend the ends of thesetruss rods closely around the ends of the loop as indicated at 25. Theouter ends of these truss rods are bent inward, to pass preferablythrough passages provided therefor in the end portions of the bar asindicated at 26, and their extremities pass centrally through the endcaps 11 having threaded thereon nuts 27 adapted on being set up to drawthe truss rods taut and obtain the proper tension thereon. It will benoted that by thus turning outward the ends of the loop member 21 whichis preferably formed of stout and strong rod stock, the inner ends ofthe truss rods 24 are spaced some little distance from the bar 10 andthus best adapted to serve their function of stiffening andstrengthening the yoke bar construction. It will be further noted thatthe elongated rod loop 21 having its central portion directly engagedwith the body of the bar and held clamped thereto by the transversebolts 14,

- 15 serves to cooperate with the top reinforce plate 20 to strengthenthe central portion of the neck yoke, the tension action of the trussrods as serving to hold this loop rod member more closely assembledagainst the body of the bar 10; the loop rod member 21 thus serving thecombined function of a reinforce member to cooperate with the bolts 14,and the member for strengthening the central portion of the bar, andalso serving as an attaching means for the inner ends of the truss rods24 adapted to space them out- Wardly from the bar to the extentrequisite for most serviceable operation.

Instead of'having the member 21 formed as an elongated loop as alreadydescribed, it may be formed of a flat piece of iron as seen at 210 Withspaced apart holes 211 therethrough to receive the bolts 14, 15 and withoutturned ends 212 which may be apertured to receive the ends of thetruss rods 24;

' in this form of the invention these truss rods maybe Welded to theoutturned ends of the bar 210 if desired.

lVhile I have herein described my invention as for use as a neck yoke,it will be understood that it is also serviceable for other analogoususes such as a breast yoke or the like. I therefore desire the foregoingdescriptive statement in this as Well as other respects to be consideredas illustrative and not restrictive. Further in general I donot desireto be limited to the precise structural details herein exhibited as theinvention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing fromthe spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore refer to theappended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate thescope of the invention.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A neck yoke or the like comprising a bar having spaced apart clampbolts extending transversely through the central portion thereof, anelongated member having its intermediate portion clamped by said boltsto said bar to serve as a reinforcementther'efor and having itsextremities outturned substantially from the surface of the bar, andtruss members having their inner ends secured to the outturned ends ofsaid member and having their outer ends secured at the outer ends ofsaid bar.

2. A neck yoke or the like comprising a. bar, spaced apart eye boltspassed through the central portion thereof, intermediate rings passedthrough the eyes of said bolts, a pole receiving ring held by saidintermediate bolts With a capability of limited lateral and endWisemovement, an elongated member having its intermediate portion clamped bythe eyes of said bolts to said bar to serve as a reinforcement therefor,and having its extremities outturned substantially from the surface ofsaid bar, and truss rods having their inner ends secured to saidoutturned extremities of said member and having their outer ends fixedat the outer ends of said bar with provision for adjustment to apply atension thereto.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES A. IVALKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

